The story of Mr. Ve and Ms. Tuyen (Dong Thap) who took in a premature baby girl abandoned in a bamboo bush and raised her once made the neighbors stir. Six years ago, Ms. Tuyen took home a premature baby girl weighing only 800 grams and covered with ants. Seeing the poor baby, she decided to adopt her despite her family’s difficult circumstances.
Fate brought the baby to his adoptive parents’ family.
Recalling the fateful day when she first saw her adopted daughter, Ms. Tuyen (now 38 years old) is still moved. She said that when her father was passing by the dike near Dinh Ba border gate, bordering Vietnam – Cambodia, he suddenly discovered an abandoned baby girl in a bamboo bush. He immediately ran back to call his daughter to help carry the child and take her to the commune health station.
“At that time, it looked so pitiful. People wrapped a towel around it, the umbilical cord was still bloody, ants were swarming around it and there was a box of milk next to it. When it was brought to the medical station, it was bathed and cleaned, and weighed only 8 ounces, so tiny.“, Ms. Tuyen said.
Ms. Tuyen and her adopted daughter
Immediately after that, Ms. Tuyen informed the local authorities to find relatives for the girl. However, after 7 days, no one came to claim the girl, so the authorities decided to find someone to adopt her.
As for Ms. Tuyen’s family, they were very poor at that time. They sold lottery tickets for a living, and at home they had a daughter who was seriously ill. Ms. Tuyen thought long and hard about whether to adopt the child, but was afraid that she would not be able to take good care of her, so she sent the child to a nearby temple. There, the monk named the girl Bao An.
A few days later, Ms. Tuyen still felt guilty. Not wanting to leave the baby at the temple, she and her husband decided to return to take Bao An home to raise.It was abandoned once, it would be a pity if I left it again. My husband also said, since I already picked it up, I should keep it, we should work together to raise it.“, Ms. Tuyen shared.
Since that day, the small family had another member, baby Bao An was raised in the love of his parents. Neighbors knew about the couple’s situation so they often gave them milk and clothes to help them out in any way they could.
“At that time, I used a spoon to feed my baby milk spoon by spoon because he was too small to drink from a bottle. After 1 month, my baby grew up healthy and gained 1.2 kg. I still tell my husband that life is really hard but I love him endlessly.“, Ms. Tuyen confided.
The result after 6 years of the whole family trying for each other
Bao An is 6 years old this year, and her parents send her to school like her peers. She has healthy, dark skin, big, intelligent eyes, and is especially obedient, understanding, listens to her parents, and loves her sick sister.
Ms. Tuyen said that Bao An has learned to help her mother with many housework. He is both a younger sibling and a friend to her sick daughter. Besides going to school, whenever she comes home, Bao An is always by her side to take care of her, get her medicine, and talk to her every day.
Bao An with his adoptive father and older sister
“Bao An loves her sister very much, and her parents too. She is very innocent. Bao An knows that her parents are still poor, so she always wishes that her parents are richer, have a big house and a car so that her parents will suffer less. She wishes that her mother will have many new things, new clothes for the whole family.“, Ms. Tuyen smiled happily.
Ms. Tuyen’s family is living in a house built by the charity association. Previously, the house had only one bedroom and no bathroom. Every day, the whole family had to use the bathroom at her husband’s house. Every time it rained, water leaked down and wet the bed. Currently, benefactors have joined hands and contributed to repair the house to be more spacious and have a bathroom.
New home for the whole family
Every day, Ms. Tuyen sells lottery tickets, earning about 150 – 200 tickets per meal. Mr. Ve works as a hired hand, doing whatever he is hired to do. The money they earn is not much, but it is enough to take care of their two young daughters. Although life is still difficult, in return, Mr. Ve and Ms. Tuyen have two obedient and filial daughters. For Ms. Tuyen, the road ahead is still full of thorns, but they always encourage each other to try to take care of and educate their children to be good people.
Receiving the love and affection from the community, Ms. Tuyen was extremely moved. Many people also encouraged her that when Bao An grows up, he will repay her and her husband’s kindness, but for that mother, repaying favors is not important. She only hopes that her child will become a good person, and as for herself, “bless me and always consider me as your flesh and blood”.
Source: Bui Ho TV